Missing Link
by MeisterYM
Summary: This is a flashback that takes place before the story "Realization: Shido's Feelings". Spoiler Warning: The story takes place beyond one year after Volumes 8 and 9 when Shido seals Natsumi's powers. Notes: 1.) Characters do not behave like they normally do in the light novel or anime series. 2.) Kurumi's side story from the volume labeled "Date a Live Encore" is used.
1. Prologue

Missing Link

By: MeisterYM

 ** _Prologue_**

Walking through the shopping district in Tenguu City, I heard a girl humming with amusement while she was enjoying her treat. She chewed a few times, swallowed, and then gave a sigh of satisfaction.

"Kinako bread really is good…"

She caressed her left cheek and gave a look of awe as she admired the taste, still holding the bread with her right hand.

The trance lasted for a few seconds until I gave a chuckle from her left. Realizing that someone was with her today, she came back to her senses and held out her bread to me as I was walking right next to her.

"Sorry, did you want some too Kurumi?"

Tohka-san asked me with somewhat of a sorry look on her face.

"Oh, no, I'm quite alright."

I waved my right hand to show that I didn't really want any.

"Are you sure? It's really good. I have some more, so don't hold back."

Tohka-san lifted her right hand. There was a plastic bag full of kinako bread hanging on her wrist. I continued waving my hand.

"I'm alright, really."

"If you say so."

Tohka-san contracted her offer and began eating more of the bread, revealing more of her bliss.

"Weren't we going to eat somewhere? Are you sure you'll still have an appetite when we get there?"

Tohka-san ate another part of her bread before giving a reply.

"No worries. I'll be alright."

I brought a finger to my chin and looked up into the sky while I walked. Why had Tohka-san asked for me to go out with her today?

"By the way, is today supposed to be special?"

I looked at Tohka-san while I asked. Tohka-san on the other hand didn't look back and only shook her head.

"No, not really, but I've been wanting the two of us to hang out since a while ago."

"I see."

I wasn't going to admit it, but I was certainly curious.

Typically I would be spending time with someone else if I weren't occupied right now, but seeing as how eager Tohka-san seemed when she had asked me to suddenly go somewhere with her, for some reason I couldn't help but say yes.

 _Kurumi, do you think we could go on a date this weekend?_

She had asked almost desperately, and I wasn't really going to say no, but I had insisted on bringing another person along.

 _About that, can it just be just the two of us?_

That was her reply anyway. The other person in question seemed just as lost when I looked to him for advice, but in the end he hadn't gone against it, and so I decided not to either. It's not like we had to be together every day. Though it would have been interesting if we managed to accomplish that.

Now that I think about it, isn't this a little out of character of me for being so considerate towards Tohka-san? It's true that when I was alone I had to be more careful of my surroundings, but the person who I often paid attention to the most back then was…

"Here we are."

My train of thought was broken before I could finish, and I brought my attention to the building that Tohka-san and I had stopped in front of.

"A café?"

It seems I've been visiting places like these often now. I looked at Tohka-san curiously, still not sure of what her intentions were.

"This was where you wanted to go?"

Tohka-san nodded her head. She then turned to me and gave me a rather determined look.

"Let's go inside."

"Very well."

I agreed to go inside, but with a bit of skepticism. We entered the café and sat near a glass window where we could see other people passing by. I was about to question Tohka-san's purpose for bringing me here, but…

"To tell you the truth…"

Tohka-san had started speaking first.

"…I didn't plan on coming here for food or drinks."

"Hmm."

I hummed to show my interest. It seemed that I didn't have to press further to get more details.

I heard that Tohka-san was a very happy-go-lucky type of person who didn't think things through very much unless she was fighting. Of course, that didn't mean that she was incompetent when she wasn't fighting, but normally she didn't take many things seriously. It was odd to see her this way.

"Kurumi. I have a favor to ask of you."

"My, that's a surprise."

I had meant what I said. I don't seem to recall Tohka-san ever asking me for a favor before.

"Of course, if you did want to eat something you can have it while we talk."

"I see."

I examined Tohka-san carefully. She was looking outside the window nervously now as if she was waiting for something.

It seems I was going to have to press her a little after all.

"So, what kind of favor did you have in mind?"

Tohka-san tensed up a little. It seems I had asked the right question. She turned to look at me with a determined look that was similar to the one that she had outside.

"The truth is…"

There was a moment of hesitation.

"I was wondering if you could tell me…"

"Tell you…?"

I tilted my head sideways to show that I wasn't quite sure what she was talking about.

"…about why you let Shido save you."

* * *

Lying on the couch and reading a book in the living room, I suddenly felt the desire to look outside the window.

Kurumi and Tohka had just gone out together without me. I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel a little left out, but seeing as how serious Tohka looked, I guess it was personal, so I thought it'd be better to leave it between the two of them.

I didn't think Tohka had anything against Kurumi, so I figured whatever she had in mind, it wasn't going to be anything troublesome.

Still, without the two of them around, it was a little…quiet.

Kotori had gone to the Fraxinus to do some work.

Miku had a concert to sing at today.

Yoshino, Natsumi, and the Yamai sisters had gone out to have fun by themselves. I didn't go along because they had already left and texted me to let me know.

It was nice that everyone was getting along though.

I gave a soft yawn.

"Guess I get to relax a little today."

I turned the page that I was on and started reading the next paragraph.

* * *

There were other people in the café who were talking in the background, but I wasn't paying attention to them. Perhaps a better way of saying it was that I couldn't.

Instead, I repeated what I thought I had heard from Tohka-san.

"You…want me to tell you why Shido saved me?"

"No."

Tohka-san immediately but slowly shook her head.

"I want you to tell me why you let him save you."

I paused for a moment.

"I'm afraid I don't understand what you're saying, Tohka-san."

That was a lie.

"Two years ago, on the day of Tanabata, Shido went on a date with you."

"That's right."

If I recall, I had encountered Tohka-san that day while I was trying to retrieve a clone of mine. The clone had managed to think for herself and in a way that didn't match my interests, so I took her back by force.

I continued to stare at Tohka-san with the most neutral expression I could make.

Shido Itsuka was someone I knew well. Admittedly, he was someone I had also grown very…attached to.

Nearly a year ago, on November 11th, I was asked to be his girlfriend. Well, requested sounds more appropriate. And in the end, I did become his girlfriend.

"I know."

My attention was brought back to Tohka-san and the café.

"You know…what exactly?"

I continued to play dumb, but Tohka-san seemed to be playing along patiently.

"When people like us are around, the only way to help us is to make us fall in love with a certain person and have him kiss us."

"That's right."

I admitted to the method of saving "people like us."

"But I thought it was strange."

I remained silent.

"Out of all of the people Shido has saved so far…"

Tohka-san had begun to look me in the eye.

"…I thought you would be the most difficult to save."

It seems I wasn't going to be able to avoid this topic for much longer.

"They call you Nightmare, the one who Mana, Kotori, Origami Tobiichi, and I fought against at the school roof."

"It took the four of us to stop you from destroying the school. Five if you count Shido."

Yes, I had tried to do that once.

Tohka-san leaned back onto her chair a little as if she was trying to relax.

"Seeing as how strong you are, hearing that you were saved by Shido with a kiss and how you came to his house in the middle of the night sounds a little too…easy."

Tohka-san looked at me with anticipation.

"Of course, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I'm only asking because I want to know."

She leaned forward and bowed her head.

"If you can Kurumi, then please. Tell me."

I looked at Tohka-san's earnest gesture.

"There's no need to do something like, Tohka-san, please. We're in a café."

Tohka-san slowly raised herself back up into her normal sitting position.

"Sorry…"

"Why do you want to know so badly?"

Tohka-san remained silent.

"…Do you not trust me?"

Reacting to my question, she immediately waved both of her hands.

"No, no, it's not like that at all."

She stopped waving her hands and was now looking down on our table.

"I'm sure you and Shido are serious about each other. If you weren't, then you probably wouldn't be here. But…"

I noticed Tohka-san's shoulders tense. She most likely clenched her fists, which I couldn't see due to the tabletop in front of us.

"But I really want to know more about you two. I guess you could say it's for closure."

Tohka-san's eyes were soft. A little too soft for my tastes. It was my turn to look outside the window.

Honestly, sometimes I think that man has gotten a little too popular.

I gave a hopeless sigh and looked back at Tohka-san.

"Very well, I'll tell you."

Tohka-san's expression lit up immediately.

"Really?"

"Yes. It's not like I have anything to lose by telling you."

Her expression grew even brighter.

"Thank you, Kurumi!"

Tohka-san bowed her head again.

"Like I said, you don't have to do that."

"S-Sorry."

Tohka-san gave an apologetic look and straightened her posture again.

"This may take some time though, so I guess we might as well order something to drink. Will that be alright with you?"

Tohka-san nodded her head enthusiastically. I don't understand why she was making such a fuss.

The two of us had ordered some tea, and I began to tell Tohka-san my meaningless secret when the beverages arrived.

"Let's see…Where should I start…?"


	2. Chapter 1

**_Chapter 1_**

I was standing on top of a tall building and staring out into the rest of Tenguu City at night.

The different lights that illuminated the area made it seem as if it were dazzling like a diamond.

I took in the scenery in for as long as I could and gave a sigh of disappointment after I had to stop.

"Well, that's enough for a break I suppose."

I turned around and expanded the shadow underneath me. I stepped inside and was brought to the ground level and directly outside of the building that I was previously standing on top of.

I walked into a dark alleyway and expanded my shadow once more, however instead of stepping inside this time, I brought myself outside, or more specifically, I brought other copies of myself outside, though I suppose clones would be a simpler term.

"I assume you know what to do, me."

"Of course, me."

One of my clones gave me an assuring grin and immediately but carefully flew out of the alleyway along with the other clones.

Except for one.

I looked at the clone that was still here with a look of perplexity. It's true that some of them have been able to think for themselves, but I made sure that I had taken care of them.

This one seemed dazed, however, as if she were searching for something. Eventually, she turned to me.

"Good evening."

She gave a friendly smile. For some reason it made me uneasy. I didn't find it disgusting or anything, but I didn't find it entirely welcoming either.

Yes, if I had to say, that smile was rather…

Threatening.

However it didn't seem as though it was a smile that I often made. It almost looked like…

For a moment, an image of myself flashed in my mind. It had caught me off guard, so I couldn't remember what kind of image of myself I had actually seen. I shook my head a little and returned a composed look to my clone.

"Good evening."

"…Do you happen to know where we are?"

This was an interesting phenomenon. I don't believe my clones had ever not known what their purpose was or where they were. Regardless, I informed her of what she needed to know. I made sure to not give too much information, in case someone was around to hear.

After explaining to myself what my objective was, I didn't notice a change in her expression. I guess it was normal, considering she wasn't sure of anything right now. But then…

"I see."

"And what exactly is it that you see, me?"

I wanted to confirm that I hadn't given too much information.

"All I have to do is search."

"Well, that's the gist of it."

My clone turned towards me. She leaned forward as if to inspect me. I admit it was a little discomforting. It was like looking into a mirror, except the reflection was moving without you having to do so yourself.

My other self then looked me in the eye, and for some reason her smile widened.

"So if I bring him to you, will you be happy?"

The air froze.

"Excuse me?"

"If I bring him to you, will you be happy?"

The question was rather unexpected. I decided to ask for more details.

"And who exactly are you thinking of bringing?"

"Isn't that obvious? Shido-san. Shido Itsuka-san."

I felt my stomach tighten.

"That won't be necessary."

"Ehh~"

My clone groaned in disappointment.

"Right now we have a more important target."

She started to pout.

"Why are you making that face?"

"…You seem a little grumpy today, me."

Perhaps I was treating my clone a little harshly compared to the rest. Even so, I don't think that I was out of line.

"I think he'd make you feel better."

"Could you please stop mentioning him?"

"Ehh~"

She groaned again.

"Are you going to search or not?"

"Why should I search? We already know where he is."

"Not him."

"But he's the only person I know."

I gave my other self a stern look.

"Are you going to do what you're supposed to or not?"

"Do you know what you're supposed to do?"

"Of course."

"Are you certain?"

"You're questioning the person in charge."

My clone tilted her head as if she didn't understand my reasoning.

"What does that have to do with knowing what you want?"

"You must be joking."

My clone shook her head.

"You should save your jokes for Shido-san."

I never thought that I would start getting annoyed at myself. Regardless, I did, and so I did what I normally do with clones that oppose me.

I expanded my shadow again. This time a large number of hands reached out from the dark puddle and began to pull my clone inside with them.

"It was nice talking to you, me."

My clone gave a chuckle. Had I always been laughing like that?

"You should go see him."

I continued walking away.

"I think he'd be happy to see you. After all, he l-"

My clone couldn't finish her sentence. I continued to head out of the alleyway.

I had to call in my clones again after half an hour.

For some reason I felt tired.


	3. Chapter 2

**_Chapter 2_**

In the middle of the afternoon, I had to be more careful around the city.

Not many people hang out at the top of buildings, regardless of the day, so I stay at those spots most of the time. If there's risk of being seen, I merely send myself to another one as quickly and as quietly as possible.

It didn't stop me in my search, either.

I scanned from the top of the buildings that I thought wouldn't prevent me from seeing the streets of Tenguu City.

But that didn't mean that I left buildings that were higher out of the picture. Occasionally I would go to higher buildings to see if I could find clues for what I was looking for.

It was time consuming. But I had gotten used to it.

When you aren't allowed to even have your favorite meal, you end up developing a discipline…

And just as I thought so, I felt a very slight tightening on my chest. I quickly ignored it.

But suddenly, there was something that I couldn't ignore. I felt a presence. As if I was being watched. It felt as if it was coming from behind.

I casually turn my head around and notice a familiar face standing behind me. My eyes widened a little.

My clone gave an innocent smile. She had a grin on her face and look as if she were a smug child who had just caught someone doing something naughty.

"…How are you here?"

My other self shrugged as if she hadn't the slightest clue. And that was when I realized.

I didn't know what this one was thinking. Something was very wrong.

"I'm hungry."

Of course she had to mention hunger.

"I just ate."

"But I haven't."

"Then-"

I was about to suggest to my clone that she should go eat, but seeing as how this one seemed a little odd, I decided to keep quiet.

"We should go eat somewhere."

Keeping quiet didn't work for very long.

"Like I said, I already ate."

I'm not entirely sure as to why I hadn't dragged my other self into my shadow already.

"In that case…"

My clone turned around and started to head for the door that led to the inside of the building.

"Where are you going?"

"To see Shido-san. Maybe he'll want to eat something with me."

To me that was a flag. I immediately called my shadow and had the hands drag her back inside.

I continued to stare at the streets of Tenguu City from above.

And that was when I saw him.

He was walking with a plum-haired girl who was eating a kind of bread. I think it was called kinako bread.

They seemed to be enjoying themselves. My heart nearly leapt out of my chest as I saw him.

"My, if it isn't Shido-san."

I had said that out loud as a joke, but that wasn't all. It sounded louder than usual. Usually this kind of moment happens when someone says the exact words that you do and at the same time. I looked to my right.

A clone was looking in the same direction that I was previously looking at. I had an idea as to which one it was. She seemed very delighted to see the man she was obsessed with. Wait, that meant I was obsessed with him too. Let's deny that, then.

Suddenly, she started to wave.

"Shido-sa-"

Once again, my shadow appeared and managed to cover my clone's mouth before her voice had gotten too loud. This one was now becoming very aggravating.

Something had to be done. This one was too independent for my own good.

* * *

I immediately left the building that I was at and was now at a high ground park area. The end of the park was guarded by handrails. The rest of the area was very spacious, and there were a few benches near the rails. I thought this would be a good place to settle things.

The sun was also setting at the horizon, and no one was around to watch. It would be over quickly.

I called my shadow, and the pool of darkness ejected a clone. Her dazed look was familiar.

"Good afternoon."

My other self greeted me with a smile.

"Good afternoon."

I returned a smile of my own.

"Ah, you smiled."

"Is that bad?"

My clone shook her head.

"No, I think it's nice."

"I figured it would be the kind thing to do."

Immediately after saying that, I extended my right hand out. Seconds later, a musket formed just as I had expected, and I cocked it and aimed at the person standing in front of me.

"Perhaps sending you off with a smile would make this easier for you."

My clone stood in place, unfazed. Not that I really cared.

"Rest assured, however, the rest of us will continue to succeed where you've failed."

"I'm glad."

My other self still stood with a smile on her face. It seemed rather arrogant for a clone.

"…Are you mocking me?"

She shook her head.

"No, I really am glad."

I looked at her harshly.

"If you kill me, then that just means that I'm right."

For some reason, my left eyebrow twitched.

I pulled the trigger on my musket.

There was a roar in the air, and then my clone recoiled backwards and fell onto the ground. A trail of blood was found, but that could be cleaned up with my shadow. I quickly called it and it absorbed the corpse and all.


	4. Chapter 3

**_Chapter 3_**

While there wasn't much evidence left behind, there was still a loud roar that came from the musket, and so I evacuated the area immediately. I didn't use my shadow this time because I wanted to use it in a less open area, so I found a cluster of trees that made a dark enough area inside and entered it. I stretched my shadow and was about to step inside, but before I did that I wanted to make sure one more time that I left no other evidence other than that loud noise.

I turned to look behind me, and what I saw wasn't any evidence, but instead, another problem. The cluster of trees that I was hiding behind wasn't that far away from the scene of the crime, so I could hear anyone who spoke there, and the voice that I was hearing was very familiar. It made me, of all people, freeze.

"I think it came from over here."

The voice belonged to a male.

"Shi-do, kinako bread~"

The other voice belonged to a girl.

"You just had some kinako bread, you're telling me you want more?"

"Well, I'm still hungry…"

"We're about to have dinner when we get home!"

"Muu…"

Seeing Shido-san and Tohka-san come into view from the visible area of the cluster of trees, I managed to regain my composure and decided to quickly and quietly hide behind one of the trees to avoid being detected inside.

My heart was beating slightly faster. But only slightly. I told myself it was adrenaline from nearly being spotted. If Shido-san and Tohka-san had seen me, they definitely would have tried to catch me.

I still don't know why I had decided to stay there. I could have easily called my shadow and left, but for some reason, I wanted to stay, even if it was only for a little while. And so I listened to the conversation.

* * *

The sky was now a red-orange color, and it could be seen outside the café window. I don't think Tohka-san had noticed yet though.

"Wait."

I tilted my head, wondering why Tohka-san had asked me to pause my story.

"…You were there?"

"Yes, I was."

"Then…that sound was…"

"I killed myself."

"Don't say that in a place like this!"

The last remark was a loud whisper that came from Tohka-san, but her face quickly turned into a very small shade of pink. I guess killing one of my clones isn't as important as the real person dying. I wasn't sure how I was supposed to take that.

"Th-Then…y-you saw…what I did?"

I found her reaction amusing, so I couldn't help but giggle. I knew exactly what she was talking about.

"It's not funny!"

"You're right, I'm sorry."

I wasn't really sorry. But considering the kind of person Tohka-san was, and the kind of person she was dealing at the time, it was certainly understandable.

"Anyway, go on."

"Let's see…"

I began to continue where I left off.

* * *

I closed the book that I was reading on the couch. It was a short novel. I also started reading it yesterday, so it didn't take very long to finish.

The sun was about to start setting, making the sky give a mix of red and orange in color.

In fact, that same image reminded me of that day with Tohka.

If I remember correctly…

* * *

Tohka and I had gone on a date.

We went to a lot of her favorite food stands and restaurants that day.

It wasn't coincidence.

The truth was, it was a date with an ulterior motive.

I think dates are a lot of fun. I'll probably believe that forever, considering how many I've been on. My life was on the line a lot of times, but even so, in the end I pulled through and also made the other person happy, so it made me happy too.

But recently, I hadn't been feeling like myself.

More specifically, my mind was somewhere else.

The food that Tohka and I ate together was delicious, and the princess herself wouldn't stop acting goofy – not that I had a problem with that.

But there was a feeling that something was tugging at my heart, and it wouldn't go away.

During our walk to the next place, I noticed a poster on the wall of a building. My chest tightened a little as I read the contents of it, though I didn't understand why.

No, I didn't want to believe that I understood.

"…Right…"

Seven days from now.

Would be Tanabata again.

The day someone slipped away from me again.

The day I couldn't save someone again.


	5. Chapter 4

**_Chapter 4_**

We had been walking away from the shopping district and were now at another place.

I wonder how many times I've been here with her.

The high ground park was where I had saved the plum-haired girl walking next to me.

We approached the rails that were saving us from falling off into the lower ground.

I watched the horizon without trying to stare directly into the sun that was now half-covered.

"Wahh, the sun looks really neat, huh Shido?"

"Yeah."

I nodded with a smile. I didn't look at her. Part of me didn't feel like I could.

However everything was silent.

It was as if the entire city was telling me that no progress would be made if I didn't do something.

I gave myself another moment to take in this scene before doing what I was about to do.

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and then exhaled.

It took everything I had to just reopen my eyes.

And then it started.

"Tohka."

"…What is it?"

Tohka was still looking into the distance.

"I have a favor to ask of you."

"…I see."

I don't think she was going to ask what kind of favor it was, so I decided to tell her before she could.

"Could you…hit me?"

Tohka turned her head to look at me. Her gaze was strong and a little defiant. Of course it'd be.

"Why would I do something like that?"

"Because I think I deserve it."

The moment I said so, Tohka looked at me with a frown. Regardless, she brought up her left hand and clenched it into a fist. As quickly as she had formed the fist, she began to launch it into the direction of my right cheek.

I closed my eyes and braced myself for the hit, but it never came.

I opened my eyes again, but the moment I did, Tohka's fist lightly tapped its target.

I was confused.

"…That's all you get."

Tohka brought her hand back.

"Hey, you can hit me harder than that."

Honestly, I was a little disappointed.

"…I don't want to."

Tohka began to look away and pout. I wasn't really sure how I would convince her to hit me any harder, so I gave it a rest. But now I was feeling a sense of guilt that I couldn't get rid of. I hung my head a little.

"This is about her, isn't it?"

That question made me jerk my head back up to look at Tohka.

"What are you talking about?"

"You can't fool me."

Tohka turned to look back at me.

"You've been thinking about her all day."

I widened my eyes a little. Was I that obvious?

"You want to see her."

Tohka was now facing her whole body towards me.

"You want to see…Kurumi Tokisaki."

* * *

He was an open book.

Did he really think he could hide himself from me?

I'd been with him long enough to know what he was thinking.

Everyone's used to thinking that I'm an airhead.

But I've been learning. Learning about how people grow. And how they fall in love.

This man, the man who gave me my name, and also the one who saved me, was thinking of another girl.

She was the one who was out of his reach.

They say you never know what you have until it's gone.

I guess that time he spent with her made him think about her even more.

But who knows?

I'm not a mind reader.

That's why I agreed to go on the date that he invited me to today.

Unfortunately he didn't seem very into it.

All day he would be dozing off into who knows where, and I had to get his attention back constantly.

And now we were at the high ground park. The place where it started for us.

And this was where it was going to end.

He had asked me to hit him.

I agreed. But only because I was going to give him a soft tap.

The look of him flinching was a little funny.

It made me wish that he was mine.

So to see if he really would be mine, I put him on the spot. I call him out and said that he wanted to see the person he was thinking about.

And now I'm eagerly waiting for his answer. I repeated myself so that he couldn't make the excuse that he didn't hear me.

"You want to see Kurumi again, don't you?"

I gave a smile to ease his tension. He looked surprised.

"Why are you asking me that?"

"Isn't she part of the reason why you wanted me to hit you?"

He froze for a moment and then nodded.

"…Yeah."

My smile widened, and so did the ache in my chest.

"Ba-ka~"

I spoke as calmly as I could. Shido seemed upset.

"If you knew then why didn't you just ask me earlier?"

It seems Shido didn't know that I was onto him from the very beginning.

"I thought the date would take your mind off things."

Shido gave a sigh. I figured this would be my chance.

"And to see if it would still work."

Shido looked at me with surprise.

"To see if what would still work?"

I responded as casually as I could.

"You and me."

The pace of my heart quickened a little from thinking about that. Shido blushed a little. It made me a little happy.

"M-Me and you…?"

He couldn't make eye contact anymore and looked away.

So I walked up to him, grabbed his face with my hands, and turned them so that he would have to look at me again. I stared into his eyes. They were a nice brown.

"Shido…what if I told you that I loved you?"

* * *

Hearing what Tohka-san had said, my heart began to ache, for a reason that I couldn't really understand.

No, it more than just ached. It hurt. I was hoping that it wasn't a health problem. I had so much to do.

I should have been used to this kind of pain. But it was different. It was something that I couldn't exactly use my powers to heal.

But I kept listening, suddenly eager to hear what Shido-san's response would be. His voice could still be heard from here, but he didn't speak until a few seconds later.

"I…would be really happy."

It may seem sudden, but I should probably mention that I've killed people.

Living organisms who can arguably be deemed as human beings.

For some reason, I started thinking about how many people I've killed.

How I probably ruined their future and devastated their world.

I hadn't died yet.

But for some reason, I thought that maybe my world was being devastated. Shido-san being with Tohka-san more than usual would make it difficult for me to use him.

"I see."

The person who replied was Tohka-san.

"If you told me that you loved me, I'd be screaming with joy."

* * *

Well, that was what he said.

My smile widened, and so did my sadness.

That wasn't all there was. That couldn't be all there was.

"I'd probably tell you that I loved you too."

That part cheered me up a little. Maybe that was what he was after.

"But…there's more to it than that."

I took my hands off of Shido's face, but like he said, he still had more to say afterwards.

"I really do love you, Tohka. But…"

Shido clenched his fists.

"I…I want to see her first!"

It all came pouring out.

"It's not fair."

Shido clenched his fists even tighter.

"We're all happy, and she's out there, fighting."

"She's alone, and we're here going out and eating our favorite foods."

"I don't even know if she's living in a home. I don't even know if she's eating at all."

"She has a soft side that she doesn't share with anyone."

"She's stubborn and only shows up when she wants to or when we need her."

"She messes with me and then just leaves."

"She loves animals and has a really bad sense of humor."

"She's crazy and also makes a sport out of killing people."

"But…even so…I still…"

Shido couldn't say the last part, but I figured that was enough.

"Then, go see her."

To me that was the best thing to do. Shido seemed a little doubtful though.

"But…what about you?"

"What about me?"

It's not that I didn't care, but how I felt wasn't really going to change anything. And even if they could, I don't think it would be fair to change how he felt.

Don't get me wrong, I wasn't giving him up either. If I was, I wouldn't have gone on a date with him today.

But if he's decided, then there probably isn't more that needed to be done.

It was sad.

And it was going to hurt for the rest of my life.

But I'd be happier if he was happy.

That's all there was to it.

So I took a deep breath, and was about to speak, but it was much harder than I thought it was. Somehow, I eventually managed.

"Shido, you should do what you want to do."

My voice was still steady. But my eyes had suddenly widened.

That was because his eyes had watered.

I don't think I've ever seen him cry. It sort of made me want to make him do it. I mean, I did just get rejected in a way. I can get away with this much, right?

"I'm sorry, Tohka…"

That apology stung. It hurt so badly that my eyes were getting watery too. Shido's silhouette was getting blurry.

"Don't apologize, idiot. It'll make her feel bad."

My voice had shook. Shido probably noticed. I wanted to give this topic a rest, but he still had another trick up his sleeve.

"Tohka…"

We were both trying not to talk with a choked voice.

"…What?"

I barely managed to make that response audible.

"Can you…let me cry a little?"

Now that I look back, it was a dirty trick.

"Why do you get to be the only one who cries?"

I didn't get an answer. Instead, he just wrapped his arms around me and buried my face into his chest.

It was a convenient position.

I couldn't see him cry.

He couldn't see me cry.

And so we just quietly cried our sadness away.

* * *

I had broken someone's heart.

It was probably going to happen sooner or later, considering the number of people I've dated and kissed.

I felt horrible. But to be honest, I also felt a little happy.

Tohka didn't hate me. At least, I hope that she didn't. In fact, she seemed to be supporting me.

It was hard for the both of us.

We continued to cry for a good amount of time.

When our crying was starting to calm down, Tohka pulled her head back, and we looked at each other.

"You look like a mess."

I was the one who had said that. Tohka grinned at me.

"Look who's talking, ba-ka~"

I couldn't help but smile back, but that smile quickly faded. There was one more thing I had to do.

I had to make it clear.

"Hey, Tohka."

Tohka was hanging her head as if she was thinking about something, but she looked back at me when I called to her.

"Do you love me?"

Tohka was stunned for a moment, and then her face turned red. She immediately broke away from our hug, her face still streaked with tears. It was a really weird look.

"Wh-Wh-Wh-Why would you ask me that now!?"

"It's important!"

"You're going to be with someone else!"

"That doesn't mean that my feelings will change!"

Tohka's face grew redder as I said that. I continued to talk.

"I might not be able to always be with you anymore…"

I clenched my fists again instinctively. I was being in the moment.

"…but I meant what I said on the day we met…"

Tohka's shoulders shook at my words.

"I'll never reject you. If you ever need me, I'll save you."

Tohka froze for a moment and then looked down. It was hard to see the expression on her face, and the sun was now three quarters behind the horizon.

"…do…"

"Eh? What was that?"

I couldn't hear what she had said.

"To your question…of whether I love you or not…"

Tohka was now shuffling her feet.

"I do…"

My heart skipped a beat.

"…I love you, Shido…"

My face was still wet from my tears.

Maybe asking her that question wasn't such a good idea, because suddenly I started feeling horrible again.

But with all the energy I had, I walked to the end of the high ground park where the handrails were.

I couldn't take it anymore.

I gripped the handrails with both of my hands as hard as I could. I think I might have dented it a little. I hung my head in agony and started pulling everything inward.

Then I immediately jerked my head up, stood as tall as I could, and let it all out.

"YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!"

The sound of my voice startled Tohka, and it echoed throughout the entire park.

"TOHKA SAID SHE LOVED MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

"Wh-What are you doing!?"

I turned my head to look at Tohka.

"I told you, if you were to tell me that you loved me, I'd scream with joy."

I looked away to yell some more.

"I LOVE YOU TOO TOHKA!"

I saw Tohka scratching her head in embarrassment out of the corner of my eye.

"BUT…"

I was nearly at my limit.

"I - LOVE - KURUMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!"

I yelled even louder with that statement. When I finished, my throat felt like it would be incredibly sore the next day.

But I think it was necessary.

I shook away all of my doubts and worries.

My shame would be something that I would have to live with for the rest of my life.

But now I'd be able to move forward again.

I'll save her.

And I'll tell her.

"YOU HEAR THAT!?"

A voice that wasn't mine was coming from my left. Tohka had joined in.

"SHIDO SAYS HE LOVES YOU!"

Today may have been the worst day I've ever had.

"SO YOU BETTER JOIN US SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!"

But one could argue that it was also the best.

"I WON'T FORGIVE YOU IF YOU DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON'T!"

That was her last message.

We were both out of breath.

We took a while to recover, and now only a very small part of the sun could be seen in the horizon.

"We should probably…head back…"

I was still a little out of breath.

"Yeah…we probably should…"

Tohka was the same.

"I'm still…not satisfied though."

Or so I thought.

"What do you mean…you're not satisfied? You just-"

I turned to look at Tohka while I was talking, but before I could finish, she wrapped her arms around my neck and pressed her lips against mine.

We held our position.

I was so confused, I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do. But before I could decide on anything, Tohka had already pulled herself away. Whether it was because we were still out of breath or not, I couldn't tell.

"That was for the lousy date today…Jerk."

With her face turning red again, Tohka walked past me and started to leave me behind.

"You're never getting one from me again, you hear!?"

She turned around and stuck her tongue out at me. The behavior made me grin. I followed Tohka shortly after.

"What do you mean lousy!? We went to all of your favorite places!"

Tohka didn't answer back. She kept trotting off, and I had to jog a little to catch up to her. When I did, it felt as if nothing had changed.

But something did change.

I had a different goal now.

To be honest, I think the scene that Tohka and I had was completely pointless.

No matter what happened, it looked like we would still be good friends. We could probably still even go out, just not as often.

The only difference was that we probably couldn't kiss, and like I said earlier, I couldn't always be there for her now.

But Tohka was surprisingly sharp today.

I think she's learning to take care of herself better.

Actually, it could be that she knew how I felt before I even did.

So one could say that she's been learning to take care of herself for my sake.

Thanks, Tohka.

I'm glad I fell in love with you.


	6. Chapter 5

**_Chapter 5_**

I continued to lean my back against the tree that was behind me.

I stayed there for a long time.

The sun had set and it was dark. I peered outside to see if anyone was still around. No one was around, but the lamp posts were now lit.

There was no one.

For some reason my interpretation of "there was no one" turned into one that meant "I was alone."

I had been alone for a while.

I didn't count my clones being my companions, since in a way, they were me.

But now there was a very, very significant problem.

I couldn't think.

My mind was fuzzy.

My knees were weak. I could barely stand.

And there was that obnoxious tightening on my chest again.

I felt incredibly irritated.

Nothing was comfortable.

Wanting to change my situation, I slowly walked out into the open area of the high ground park.

I walked to where Shido-san and Tohka-san had spoken, and also where they had yelled those ridiculous words.

They were annoying.

It seems I would have to dispose of them once I was done with them.

"Is that really the only answer you can come up with?"

I heard a voice come from behind me. I wasn't being aware of my surroundings.

This was becoming very problematic.

I turned around to see my clone standing with a smile on her face.

"You don't quit, do you?"

"Of course not, I'm you."

"If you were me, you would be giving this topic a rest."

"Oh? But I can't recall mentioning any specific topic."

Her smile widened.

I stared daggers at her, the person who was my largest obstacle.

"How did you get out?"

"I wonder. Maybe I never left."

I quickly brought my right hand forward and called forth my musket again.

I pointed it at her head. Once again, she didn't even flinch. That stubbornness was certainly getting on my nerves.

"Do you really think something will change by rejecting yourself?"

"I'm not rejecting me, you are."

I changed my aim to her left leg and fired. Just like that she fell forward.

I walked up to my clone with the gun still pointed at her. A trail of blood was coming from her left leg.

"I was thinking of killing you again, but I think I'll torture you instead."

My thought process was that I would make her afraid of me so that she wouldn't want to have anything to do with me anymore.

A clone that won't do her job is useless, even if the consequence of doing this was that there was going to be one less person to help out.

My other self tried to lift herself back up with her arms, but in response I shot her right one.

Blood splattered and she fell back down. Her breathing was now getting heavier.

"I hope you know that you brought this on yourself. Honestly, I'm getting tired of having to kill myself. Who does something like this three times in a row?"

Yes, the kill count, if you only included the number of times I've had to do it to myself, was up to three.

There was the time on the school roof when Shido-san had tried to sweet talk me.

And then there was the time during the Tanabata festival where my clone had to disappear to spend time with Shido-san.

And now this would be the third.

As I was reminiscing the times I had to kill myself, the clone lying in front of me tried getting up again, albeit she was doing it slower than last time.

I shot her other arm.

She fell again.

There was a pool of blood forming now.

I shot the other leg of my clone just in case she wanted to get up again.

I wasn't sure when she was going to give up, but I was expecting it to happen eventually.

And that's when I started to enjoy it.

I was trying to hold in my laughter at this pitiful display of resistance, but I was at my limit.

I had burst into maniacal laughter.

It was amusing.

I was amusing myself.

And as I was laughing in amusement, I heard a splash. It was from the puddle of blood in front of me.

Weakly, my clone had decided to pull herself up again.

I'm not even sure how that was possible. Her limbs were most likely as sensitive as twigs at the moment. And they were.

Not long after she got herself standing, her legs buckled, and she collapsed again.

Seeing my other self try so hard was beginning to make me want to end this, but I still hadn't made myself clear.

I pointed my musket at her back where the stomach would be. Soon I'd run out of places to shoot, and I would have to start aiming for the more vital spots. Then again, I could fire on the same spots that I'd already shot. But another problem was that she was also running out of blood. And I couldn't let her die just yet.

My clone was coughing blood now. Somehow not much of it had gotten to her face. You could barely notice it.

I gave an exhausted sigh.

"Do you not understand the position you're in?"

My clone remained silent.

"Why are you insisting on something that you know isn't my priority?"

The dying person in front of me suddenly moved a little, but she didn't get up. Then she laughed. That laughter was annoying.

"Because…someone said he loved me…"

That suddenly made the finger above my trigger twitch. And then I decided to shoot again. I'm not even sure where I had shot her this time.

I saw my clone wince in pain and try to suppress a scream. At least we were finally getting results.

"Shido-san…said…he loved me…"

I remained silent. My clone had started to pick herself up yet again.

I think this was far enough.

I pointed the musket at my clone's head and was about to pull the trigger, however…

The sun had set a while ago, but despite how dark it was, I noticed a shadow that was darker than the others expand underneath my feet and my clone's body.

Several hands emerged, but the most surprising part was when they had started grabbing at me instead of my clone. I hadn't intended to make those hands do such a thing.

The hands clung to my shoulders and arms and suddenly pulled me straight down. I was now on my knees with my arms involuntarily held behind my back. I had dropped my musket. Even if I could call it back to my hands, firing from this position wouldn't be very effective, and it wouldn't loosen the grip of the hands that were holding me well enough.

"What's the meaning of this?"

I didn't expect all of my other clones to rebel against me also. Things were now getting very inconvenient. I squirmed and struggled as often as I could, but my clones had strength in numbers, which made the fact that they were weaker as individuals virtually insignificant.

What was worse was that I still didn't have all of my senses.

My mind was still fuzzy.

And the tightness in my chest hadn't gone away.

Kneeling in this position actually made it easier on my legs.

It was pitiful. I was as bad as the ruined body that was trying to stand in front of me.

Except the clone that I had shot several times in front of me had succeeded in getting up again.

She was swaying side to side as if she was barely conscious.

She walked to me slowly.

I tried to break free from the hands that were holding me, but I couldn't. I desperately wanted to leave.

"Let go!"

I tried to assert my authority by sounding intimidating, but no one listened. It's humiliating when you won't even listen to yourself.

"Let go!"

I continued to yell and struggle until my clone was now standing right in front of me and looking down on me from above. Her face was still mostly clean, but the bottom half of her dress was soaked with blood.

I looked up at her, and had to look at the truth in the face.

Tears had fallen down her cheeks, and then they landed on mine and started to roll down. For a moment, I didn't know what to say.

"I want to see him."

"Stop."

I broke eye contact from my clone and looked down.

"I want to hold him."

"Stop…"

My voice was growing more irritated.

"…I want to be with him…"

"Stop!"

"Why won't you let me see him?"

"That's enough!"

"Why won't…you see him?"

As she asked those words, my clone fell forward and landed onto me. Her arms were wrapped around my neck, and her face was next to mine.

"I think…I'd love him…too…"

And with those words, my clone fell onto her side. As if responding to her collapse, another group of hands appeared and dragged her into the shadow that was still underneath me.

"Well, that was quite the scene."

I could hear a voice coming from in front of me. I raised my head to see another clone of myself. I was starting to think that perhaps there was too much of me.

Unlike the previous clone, this one wasn't full of holes, and her dress was completely free of any blood stains.

"What do you want?"

The new clone chuckled at my question.

"You should know as well as I do."

I hung my head in disbelief. This was becoming too much.

"It hurts, doesn't it?"

"…"

"I'm sure it was worse than any gunshot wound you would have given yourself."

I suppose that was meant to be a joke.

"It's like a virus."

I shuddered a little at that comment.

"It's a disease that won't go away."

My clone walked closer to me.

"And it's infected nearly all of us."

She said it so casually. I gave a sad chuckle.

"So that's how it turned out like this."

Of course that was how it turned out. I had known from the very beginning.

"I can't believe how stubborn I am."

By traveling this path, I would be giving up many things that I worked for. Perhaps I would even be giving up everything that I worked for.

But it may also be possible that none of that was what I really wanted most.

He made me uneasy. He was pure and I was corrupt. I was a killer, and he hadn't taken a single life. We were opposites. We're hardly around each other compared to the other people he spends his time with, and he has the nerve to keep chasing after me. His adopted sister nearly killed me, and he tries to put everyone before himself.

It was touching.

But…

"…It's not that simple…"

I gritted my teeth a little as I said that. It wasn't intending to say such a thing, but I did.

"Then, let's make it simple for you."

My clone crouched down to look at me, but I was still staring at the floor that was shrouded in darkness.

"What does Kurumi Tokisaki want to do?"

My entire mind and body was in disarray, but even so…

"Nothing."

I mumbled the answer, causing my other self to sigh.

"That's not true."

I remained silent. I certainly didn't want to say what I really wanted to do.

"If you aren't going to admit it, then I will. I hardly see the difference."

My clone stood up. I continued to look down.

"I'm in lo-"

Trying to interrupt what she was going to say, I furiously struggled to break free from the hands that were holding me. I wasn't actually free, but it did stop her from saying what she was about to say.

She seemed as if she were very puzzled now.

"Why is it so hard for you to admit it?"

"That's not important."

"Then, do you hate him?"

"…"

I couldn't answer that, which may have been my biggest mistake yet. My lack of a reply left a long silence, and that had given my clone enough time to come up with another idea. Her expression lit up and an evil smile formed across her face.

"In that case…"

I looked at her now with skepticism.

"Let's admit something else."

I furrowed my eyebrows at that suggestion.

"You're right, I'm not in love with Shido-san."

As quickly as the statement came, the tightness around my chest grew tighter.

"He's despicable."

It tightened even more.

"I absolutely loathe him. He's not even worth my time. Honestly, what have I been doing?"

For some reason I was getting angry.

"Risking his life just so he can kiss a few girls? Is he an idiot?"

I was trying to break from my bondage again.

"To me that just means he's irresponsible. I don't want to be with someone like that."

"Stop!"

There was more silence.

"First you get upset for hearing the truth and now you're upset for hearing lies?"

I had had enough of myself.

"Do you not understand!?"

I had snapped.

"I'm a murderer!"

I stared right into the eyes of the clone in front of me.

"It's like he said, I make a sport out of killing people!"

At this point I was wondering if I could just leave.

"I've already given up human values for something else! Why can't you let me commit to it?"

At this point I was wondering why I didn't stop time.

"A murderer falling in love…"

My voice trembled a little.

"…doesn't get a happy ending."

I was now hanging my head in shame.

I was feeling the very two emotions I wanted to completely reject.

I was guilty of taking lives.

And I was also in love.

It hurt.

Those two emotions combined hurt.

And I had already decided that I would have to live with them for the rest of my life.

And I couldn't even say that it wasn't fair.

"Maybe he can give us one."

I looked up to my clone.

"At least, that's what I wish would turn out in the end."

My clone was also myself, so of course she knew what my desires were. She was voicing what I wanted to happen.

"I told you, it's not that easy."

It was unbelievable how stubborn my clones were.

"Was it ever easy?"

I wasn't sure how to answer that.

"We've always been fighting for our desires."

My clone crouched down again to be at eye level with me.

"The only thing that would change would be what we're fighting for."

I stared at my clone, feeling as if I had run out of answers. She smiled at that.

"I'm in love with Shido-san."

She had said it. I hung my head again.

"I miss him."

I had said those words.

"I want to see him."

My clone had said that.

I gave the most exhausted sigh. I had lost. Honestly, who loses to their own clone?

"One chance."

I looked up to my clone as I said that. She tilted her head, not knowing what I had meant.

"I'll let you have it your way for once."

For some reason, I smiled.

"I'll go see him."

My clone responded with a triumphant grin.

* * *

It had hurt.

My whole body had ached.

I had a gunshot wound in my arms, legs, and even my stomach. They had healed thanks to the abilities of my original self.

But now it was dark.

It may have been the worst situation I could end up in.

I was nearly killed, and now I was in nothingness.

I couldn't see anyone.

Especially Shido-san.

My chest was squeezing itself just from thinking about that.

But as I thought that, a light appeared.

No, it wasn't light. It was just a lighter darkness.

It was the night sky.

There were stars that made it brighter.

Which reminded me.

That day was coming again.

The day I had gone on another date with him.

As I was thinking to myself, someone had walked up to me and was now looking down on my face from above.

She looked like me.

"You caused me a lot of trouble."

Based on her tone, it sounded like she was the original me. I gave a thin smile. I wonder if she was going to hurt me again.

I didn't mind it though.

If it lets me see Shido-san, I'll stand up for him as many times as I need to.

"Don't worry, I didn't bring you back to torture you."

That comment surprised me a little. I tried to sit myself up and realized that I wasn't on concrete anymore. It was grass. As I tried to confirm that I was actually sitting on grass, my original sat down next to me.

"So…about Shido-san…"

I was surprised that she actually brought up Shido-san. I looked at her in amazement and realized that her face was turning a little red.

"…tell me what you like about him."

I couldn't help but laugh.

"Wh-What's so funny?"

"You should already know what I like about him. You're me."

"H-Humor me."

I laughed a little more, and my original began to pout. I leaned forward and began to talk right away. I didn't need to think about what I liked about him.

"What I like about him is…"

I began to talk about the traits of a man who impressed me.

About the man who brought color to my life.

And about the man who I fell in love with.

And my original managed to relate and agree to everything I said.

We went on until we had completely lost track of time.


	7. Chapter 6 & Epilogue

**_Chapter 6_**

A week had passed since I had confronted my clones. Actually, they had confronted me.

For some reason I was feeling excited about today, though I was also feeling a little nervous.

But I was advised that I should just be myself around him. It had worked for one of them, after all.

I had been watching him for the past week from the rooftop of a building.

Perhaps this could be considered stalking, which suddenly made me feel ashamed of myself, but in the end it had worked out, and I was informed that he was finally out in the open and was sitting in a park bench. All is fair in love and war, they say.

I thought Shido-san's behavior was a little peculiar. It could have been because of his talk with Tohka-san, but that felt too much like wishful thinking.

Regardless, I decided to recompose myself after getting a little flustered and hid behind a tree after I spotted him.

I took a few deep breaths, and was about to step out when a voice called out from the other side.

"So, are you a clone or the real one?"

The question caught me completely by surprise and I froze, but suddenly I felt several pushes from behind my back.

I panicked for a moment, but then gave everything I had to make sure that I looked how I always did when I was around him.

When I stepped out, he was there. His face was serious, but that wasn't really bothering me.

He was here.

And so was I.

And I was going to make this another happy moment.

 ** _Epilogue_**

"I'm sure you know the rest."

The sky was losing a bit of its red orange color. Tohka-san looked at me, wide-eyed.

"That's what happened?"

"Yes, that's what happened."

She remained stunned. She had blushed every now and then when I mentioned her with Shido-san. She apparently seemed guilty, but I wasn't too bothered by it. At least, I wasn't going to admit that I was.

Tohka-san began to move in her seat a little.

"Sorry…"

I tilted my head.

"What for?"

"For making you tell me something like that."

I gave a chuckle.

"It's fine. Like I said, I didn't have anything to lose by telling you. If anything I should be thanking you."

"Thanking me?"

Tohka-san looked a little cheerful.

"Of course. If you hadn't confessed to Shido, then I may have never been honest with myself."

I looked at Tohka-san with sincerity.

"Thank you, Tohka-san."

"O-Oh, it's nothing."

Tohka-san waved her hands.

"And I'm sorry."

The apology made her stop waving her hands.

"What for?"

"It must have been difficult for you."

I was referring to Shido's answer to her confession. Tohka-san's hands fell onto her lap. She looked outside the glass window.

"It's fine. Really."

She made a soft smile.

"I said everything I needed to back then."

She turned to look at me again and pointed at me.

"But you better make sure he's happy. He chose you after all."

I chuckled at Tohka-san's behavior.

"Of course."

"And of course he should be making you happy too."

"There's not a day when I'm not happy with him."

"Then everything's okay."

Tohka-san folded her arms and nodded with approval. I laughed some more at her sudden confidence boost.

"Well then, shall we go?"

Tohka-san had already gotten out of her seat.

"Yes, let's."

I had also gotten out of mine. We left the café after paying for what we ordered and started heading home.

"I'm getting kind of hungry."

I turned to look at Tohka-san blankly.

"But you just ate at the café."

"Muu. But now it's getting to dinner time."

Tohka-san had a troubled look on her face. We both laughed at how hopeless she was acting as we continued walking.

* * *

"I'm home!"

Someone had smoothly announced her presence as she entered the front door.

I remained on the couch but was now sitting upright. I tried to hide my joy in hearing that voice.

"Oh, welcome back."

Kurumi had entered the living room after taking off her shoes. Her lips formed a thin smile.

"You seem to be in a good mood."

She laughed at my observation.

"You can tell?"

"More or less."

Kurumi continued to smile as she approached the couch and sat next to me.

"Is Tohka not coming over?"

"She wanted to drop off her kinako bread first."

"Again? She really likes her kinako bread."

"Yes, she does."

I had stopped reading and put the book down onto the coffee table. The moment I did so, I turned to look at Kurumi. We made eye contact.

"What's wrong?"

The moment I asked, she pushed me down to lie on the couch, which made me yelp. She pinned me there and brought her face close to mine.

"K-K-K-K-Kurumi!?"

"Kiss me."

"Hah!?"

The request was very sudden.

"I missed you and I haven't seen you all day."

She was being very direct today. My heart couldn't take it.

So I compromised.

"A quick one."

"That'll work."

I brought my face forward quickly, pecked her on the lips, and then backed off.

"Can you get off of me now?"

And just like that, her smile widened. It seems she understood that having Tohka and possibly even Kotori see us like this would not end well.

Kurumi removed herself from me.

"I'm never going to get you."

What I was implying was that I felt like I would never understand her.

"I'm already yours."

Kurumi spoke those words casually. And just as quickly as she had spoken, she got out of her seat and walked back into the hallway with a snicker.

"That's not what I meant!"

I followed her to the hallway, my face feeling a little hot. I spent the rest of the day with her and Tohka who had come over.

Miku had come back from her concert.

Yoshino and the others were a little tired, so they decided to pass on hanging out for tonight.

And eventually Kotori had made it home.

I had read books all day while Kurumi was gone, but now it felt like the sun had come back up.


	8. Afterword

_**Affterword**_

There might still be some typos.

You know how it is.

Spend a lot of time on this and then share what's finished.

Any editing needed will be done later.

Hopefully.

Anyway.

Ooh boy.

Stayed up late again, so may not seem as coherent in this section. Especially when I'm not using complete sentences.

Wanted to give readers hope that there is and will be more. Hopefully this satisfies some of them for a while. Thanks for being patient.

Have been really busy lately, so more empty apologies.

This story may still seem shorter than the other stories, but that's because I thought this was long enough for a flashback. Thinking up of more things would just increase the risk of twisting my own ideas even more and turning this entire fanfic into even more nonsense.

I wanted to try writing a story where I was using first person narrative. I thought that would make it more meaningful and/or touching, if that makes sense. Maybe it doesn't. I'm kind of sleep deprived right now.

But the point is.

Sometimes I think of characters explaining their views and how they feel in first person, because then I start to think I have a better connection with them personally and emotionally. So I figured, why not try it out on this?

That's another item marked off from the checklist.

Sorry if the story got a little confusing because of it.

If it doesn't work out then I'll just stop writing it this way.

I wasn't really expecting to do it this way very often anyway.

Happy Halloween, everyone.

Stay beautiful.


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